PORTLAND — The first customers arrived at 1:45 a.m. Through the night, they shared a blanket on the cold cement sidewalk, eager to be among the earliest to shop at Maine’s first Aldi supermarket.

The group of four drove down in two cars, “just so we’ll have enough room in the vehicles” for all their groceries, said Nancy MacMillan, 71, of Lewiston. Usually they shop at Aldi stores in New Hampshire, sometimes hitting four or five in one trip.

“I love everything,” she said. “I love the prices and the ‘walk of shame,’” referring to the aisle with a variety of toys, beauty supplies, Aldi gear, household items and seasonal products.

The discount grocery chain opened its new Brighton Avenue store around 8:45 a.m. Thursday, rewarding the first 200 people through the door with gift bags and $5-100 gift cards.

Another person in the group, Alexia Barcelou, 29, also of Lewiston, wore a knitted pink Aldi hat. She’s expecting, so she’ll be looking for “stuff for a baby girl.”

Aldi leased the former Big Lots store in the Pine Tree Shopping Center in February 2025 and had initially planned to open by the end of that year.

It completely rebuilt the roughly 25,000-square-foot space at 1100 Brighton Ave., from the trademark blue and orange sign on a new slanted roofline to the streamlined industrial interior with a raised ceiling, and exposed lighting and ventilation systems.

Chris Daniels, Aldi’s Northeast regional vice president, said Thursday that the company is considering opening several other stores in southern Maine.

Aldi carries mostly store-brand foods, household essentials, pet supplies and personal items. It is best known for its various snacks, gourmet cheeses, German foods, European chocolates, inexpensive wines and store-brand ketchup.

LONG WAITING LINE

Staff handed out numbered tickets to the first 200 customers, running out by 8:05 a.m. By the time the doors opened, the line snaked the length of the shopping plaza’s covered sidewalk and into the parking lot. It was cool and cloudy, but the rain held off.

Ronda and Bob Piotrowski, of Harpswell, arrived around 7:30 a.m. for their first Aldi grand opening, but they’ve been dedicated customers since they lived in Illinois.

“Aldi used to be two minutes from where we lived,” said Bob Piotrowski, 71. “There were 10 of them within an hour of our house. We drove an hour to get here, and it’s two hours one way to shop at Aldi in New Hampshire.”

The couple didn’t mind waiting in line for their favorite products, including Aldi’s produce, luncheon meats, frozen French fries and brownie mix.

“We knew it would be like this, and you gotta get the swag,” said Ronda Piotrowski, 68, holding a canvas Aldi bag that contained an Aldi mug.

Many customers wore Aldi clothing, including sweatshirts, hats and warm-up pants featuring Aldi’s yellow, orange, red and blue rainbow stripe.

Kay Kerina, 33, of Portland, proudly showed off her coordinated Aldi fleece onesie and jacket. “Check the fit,” she said, smiling and posing for onlookers.

She recently hosted a Costco vs. Aldi-themed birthday party. She’s been a fan since 2014.

“I used to live in London, and it was right across from my flat,” she said.

MANY MILES TRAVELED

Customers came from as far away as Lubec and Danforth, two tiny towns on the eastern border with Canada. Many were glad they no longer have to drive all the way to New Hampshire to satisfy their Aldi cravings.

“I shop at Aldi when I’m on vacation in Florida and sometimes in Newington, New Hampshire,” said Jeanne Cyr, 57, who drove 3 1/2 hours from Danforth to Portland. “I love Aldi. My husband had no interest in driving here.”

Lyndee Waldbauer, an events planner who lives in Belgrade, posted a notice on Facebook seeking people to join her Thursday.

She rolled into the parking lot just in time for the opening, driving her “Belle of Belgrade” 10-seat party van and ferrying five new-found friends from the Augusta-Belgrade area. They munched on muffins and sipped homemade strawberry lemonade on the 1 hour and 15 minute trip.

They held balloons and handmade signs — Waldbauer’s said “We brought Quarters,” which are needed to rent shopping carts at Aldi stores.

“I wanted to create an experience,” Waldbauer said. “I’ve been emailing Aldi for five years, trying to get them to open an Aldi in Maine, ever since I moved here from Maryland. I love that they have healthier food options because they’re a European company.”

NEW JOBS, SHOPPING OPTIONS

Aldi hired 25 full- and part-time workers to staff the Portland store, most of whom are making $19.50 to $26.50 per hour, including cashiers, stockers and assistant managers, according to job listings.

“It’s an excellent job opportunity with a pathway for advancement,” said store manager Ralph Derose, 38, of Saco, who operated a property maintenance company before he started working for Aldi 11 months ago.

Portland Mayor Mark Dion was among several local officials who attended the grand opening ceremony.

“(Aldi is) an important anchor for this plaza,” Dion said afterward. “Any new business is good for Portland.”

Dion said it would benefit shoppers to have a new grocery option in Greater Portland, where many are customers of Hannaford, Shaw’s, Market Basket and other food retailers. He also noted that Aldi donated $10,000 to the Good Shepherd Food Bank to mark the opening.

The company, which has become country’s fastest-growing grocer, plans to open 180 stores this year and operate a total of 3,200 shops in the U.S. by 2028, according to its website. The $9 billion expansion is expected to strengthen its presence in the Northeast and Midwest, adding nearly 330 stores across both regions.

“This is a great turnout today, especially for our first store in Maine,” Daniels, the regional vice president, said. “We expect people will be driving significant distances to get here.”

Aldi is often compared to Trader Joe’s and described as a less expensive Whole Foods.

The supermarket offers some of the lowest prices among national grocers, saving a family of four an average of 36% on their food bill, or as much as $4,000 per year, Daniels, said.

Near the end of the line Thursday, Erica Menard of Steep Falls was prepared for her first Aldi experience. She joined a friend, Jamie Morawiec of Gorham, who shops regularly at an Aldi near her in-laws in New York.

“We did a risk-benefit analysis before coming here,” said Menard, 43. “We wanted to get here early enough but not so late that we’d be waiting for hours.”

They were in the store before 9:30.